1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to push-to-talk (PTT) communication and, more particularly, to a PTT communication method and system that provides an effective means to force a particular member to leave a PTT chat room in a PTT communication mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a mobile communication system divides its entire service area into smaller service regions known as cells, which are managed by corresponding Base Stations (BSs). These base stations are then centrally managed by Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) to enable subscribers to place a call while traveling between cells.
With advances in communication technologies, various techniques have been developed to combine Internet Protocol (IP) networks with mobile communication networks. Voice over IP (VoIP) technology is such an example, which provides a packet-based voice service using Internet protocols.
In a packet-based voice service, establishment of a call is performed through both a mobile communication network and an IP network, and thus requires a relatively long call setup time. Nevertheless, the packet-based voice technology can provide interactive call services such as group calls and private calls using multicast communication over IP networks. Here, an interactive call denotes a walkie-talkie style call, which is made according to interactions between users, in PTT communication. A group call is a conference call between a group of members, and a private call is a call between two members.
For PTT communication, a logged user selects a group of friends or peers, or another person to be called in a member list displayed on the mobile terminal, and presses the PTT button. Then, a path for one-to-one or group communication is established in a network to provide a PTT communication service. A need has recently developed for service diversity in PTT communication.